Transcript Coral Bleaching 101 - National Science Teachers Association

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Higher than a Sea-Bird's Eye
View: Coral Reef Remote
Sensing Using Satellites
Presented by Mark Eakin
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Higher than a Sea-Bird's Eye
View: Coral Reef Remote
Sensing Using Satellites
Presented by Mark Eakin
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
Climate Change
• 2009 report from the
US Global Change
Research Program
• Climate Change
impacts, focused on
the United States
http://globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
Climate Change
http://globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
Climate Change and
Coral Reefs
• “Higher water
temperatures and ocean
acidification due to
increasing atmospheric
carbon dioxide will
present major additional
stresses to coral reefs,
resulting in significant dieoffs and limited recovery.”
http://globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
What is a coral reef?
Animal
Vegetable Mineral
What is a coral reef?
All of the above!
Animal / Vegetable/ Mineral
Slide after of Joan Kleypas, NCAR
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/#Anchor-From-63388
What is coral bleaching?
Healthy
coral
Bleached
coral
Coral bleaching is caused by stress
What is coral bleaching?
Healthy
coral
with
algae
Bleached
coral
without
algae
- Corals expel their zooxanthellae
- The coral tissue is clear, so you see the
white limestone skeleton underneath
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/tutorial/crw04_morebleaching.html
What will stress a coral and
cause bleaching?
A. Nutrient enrichment (eutrophication).
B. Fish bites.
C. Lack of vitamin D.
D. High water temperature.
E. Too much homework.
What will stress a coral and
cause bleaching?
-High light or UV levels
-Cold temperatures
-Low salinity from coastal
runoff or heavy rain
-Exposure to air during very
low tides
Most important:
high water temperature
Photos: AIMS and GBRMPA
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/about/hazards/
Coming up next…
- If water gets 1 or 2°C
higher than the summer
average, corals get
stressed and bleach
- NOAA satellites measure
global ocean temperature
and thermal stress
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite
Questions?
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
What is remote sensing?
Measuring some property of an object
without touching it.
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/tutorial/crw08_remotesensing.html
Which of these trees
is healthy?
Why do we think this tree
is healthy?
• Our eyes
sense the
green color in
the photo
• We interpret
“green” as
“healthy”
NOAA Satellites
Polar-orbiting satellites have a constant
orbit while the earth rotates under them.
NOAA’s POES
satellites sense the
Earth’s whole surface
every day.
Ocean temperature is
one thing they
measure.
How do we measure the
temperature of the ocean from
850km above the surface?
• If you stand next to a fire,
you can feel the heat on
your skin.
• This is infrared radiation.
• Satellites carry a sensor
to detect this radiation.
Questions?
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
Remember…
- If water gets 1 or 2°C
higher than the summer
average, corals get
stressed and bleach
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite
How warm is too warm?
How hot do you think the ocean has to get
before corals start to bleach?
How warm is too warm?
Bleaching threshold temperatures vary from
~27 – 33°C (81 – 91°F).
Corals from naturally warmer areas are
adapted to high temperatures, and have a
higher bleaching threshold.
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/tutorial/crw22_bleachingthreshold.html
Coral Bleaching HotSpots
Satellite data show where temperature is
above the bleaching threshold right now.
Yellow/orange shows stressfully hot areas.
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/products_hotspot.html
Degree Heating Weeks
(DHW)
Corals bleach when conditions get
hot and stay hot
DHW are accumulated HotSpots ≥ 1
for the preceding 12 weeks
Degree Heating Weeks
DHW = 0
DHW ≥ 4
DHW ≥ 8
No Thermal Stress
Thermal Stress leading to significant bleaching
Thermal Stress leading to wide spread
bleaching and significant mortality
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/products_dhw.html
Bottom Line for Managers
Is my reef currently at risk for bleaching?
- Satellite data warn managers of bleaching
- Plan research, response, and monitoring
Questions?
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
Can corals recover?
-Yes, if the stress doesn’t
last too long
-Some corals can eat more
zooplankton to help survive
the lack of zooxanthellae
-Some species are more
resistant to bleaching, and
more able to recover
Photos: AIMS
and GBRMPA
http://www.reefresilience.org/Toolkit_Coral/C2d_Recovery.html
Can corals recover?
-Corals may eventually
regain color by repopulating
their zooxanthellae
-Algae may come from the
water column
-Or they may come from
reproduction of the few cells
that remain in the coral
Jeff Miller, National Park Service
Can corals recover?
-Corals can begin to
recover after a few weeks
Jeff Miller, National Park Service
Does bleaching kill corals?
-Yes, if the stress is severe
-Some of the polyps in a
colony might die
-If the bleaching is really
severe, whole colonies
might die
-Bleaching in Puerto Rico
killed an 800-year-old star
coral colony in 2005
2005 Bleaching in the Virgin
Islands National Park
Mennebeck Bay
Over 90%
bleached
Yawzi Point
Over 60%
died
Newfound Reef
J. Miller et al. 2009. Coral disease following massive bleaching in 2005 causes 60% decline in
coral cover on reefs in the US Virgin Islands Coral Reefs, DOI 10.1007/s00338-009-0531-7)
South Florida/Caribbean Network I&M Program
What else can thermal stress
do to corals?
Photo:
Caroline Rogers, USGS
Question: what is something that happens to
people when they are highly stressed?
Gain weight
Get sick
Turn orange
What else can thermal stress
do to corals?
Photo:
Caroline Rogers, USGS
Question: what is something that happens to
people when they are highly stressed?
Get sick
Bleaching and coral disease
- Bleaching leaves
corals more vulnerable
to disease
-Can quickly kill part or
all of the coral colony
Marilyn E. Brandt, University of Miami
Questions?
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
A Worldwide Crisis
Bleaching has already happened around the
world. (map shows all bleaching reports since 1963)
Adds to other stress (fishing, pollution, etc.)
19% of reefs have been lost
15% more are under imminent threat
http://reefgis.reefbase.org
Future Warming
Coral
bleaching
threshold
Hoegh-Guldberg, 1999. Climate change, coral bleaching, and the future
of the world’s reefs. Marine and Freshwater Research 50(8), 839-866.
Two-part Solution:
1: lower global CO2 emissions
Two-part Solution:
1: lower global CO2 emissions
For coral bleaching stress, there is a huge
difference between 1.5°C and 2°C
increase.
Two-part Solution:
1: lower global CO2 emissions
Above even the
highest future scenario
Two-part Solution:
2: increase reef resilience
–
–
–
–
–
Shade reefs
Cool reefs
Improve water quality
Reduce other stress (pollution, disease)
Reduce overfishing
http://www.reefresilience.org/Toolkit_Coral/C1_Intro.html
Coral Reefs Are
Too Valuable to Lose
-Not just a nice place to visit on vacation!
-Over $375 billion in fish, seafood, tourism,
and coastal protection worldwide
-0.5 to 1 Billion people directly depend on
healthy reefs for their food and livelihood
-Highest marine biodiversity in the world
http://coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/protect/welcome.html
The Future of Reefs
Is Up To Us
A
B
C
Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007. Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean
acidification. Science 318, 1737 - 1742.
What Can YOU Do?
1. Don’t buy jewelry/souvenirs made from
coral or other reef animals.
2. Reduce fertilizer use.
3. Be a responsible tourist.
4. Learn more about coral reefs.
5. Spread the word.
http://coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/thingsyoucando.html
http://www.projectaware.org/english/templates/info.aspx?id=407
Questions?
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Climate change and coral reefs
Introduction to coral bleaching
Remote sensing basics
NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
After corals bleach
What does the future hold?
Classroom resources
Satellite Data and Animations
(website demonstration)
• NOAA Coral Reef Watch website
• provides current conditions, data,
Google Earth, etc.
• Anomaly animation shows ENSO
status, etc.
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/anom_anim.html
Google Earth
• Fun, interactive tool
• Also teaches
geography!
• See where
conditions are right
for coral bleaching
right now.
• Live links to data on
the web. http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/ge/index.html
Google Earth
• Fun, interactive tool
• Also teaches
tropical geography!
• See where
conditions are right
for coral bleaching
right now.
• Live links to data on
the web.
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/ge/index.html
Classroom Resources
• Satellite data/coral bleaching
– Lesson plans, data activity, tutorial
– http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/index.html
• Ocean education
– Tutorial and online resources for corals
– http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/welcome.html
• Coral Reef Conservation Program
– Central listing for coral education resources
– http://coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/welcome.html
Summary
- Corals are animal, vegetable, AND mineral
- Climate change is warming coastal waters
- Hot water bleaches corals
- NOAA satellites pinpoint bleaching risk
- Corals may die after bleaching
- We need to act now to save coral reefs
Thank you to the sponsor of
tonight's Web Seminar:
http://learningcenter.nsta.org
http://www.elluminate.com
National Science Teachers Association
Dr. Francis Q. Eberle, Executive Director
Zipporah Miller, Associate Executive Director
Conferences and Programs
Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning
NSTA Web Seminars
Paul Tingler, Director
Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator
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